High voltage DC power supplies have been limited in the manner in which the various electrical components have been supported within the unit. The unit consisted of a covered enclosure or tank which contained an oil immersed transformer and associated electrical components. When it came time to service or repair the unit, the entire transformer as well as its associated electrical components had to be removed from the tank. This has been an expensive and time consuming task for even the most minor of electrical failures, since heavy equipment lifts were usually required each time.
Examples of such construction wherein the transformer and other electrical components were undesirably mounted to the same frame were disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,792,338; 3,858,090; and 3,898,537. In these systems, when it came time to repair the power supply, the transformer and the other electrical components had to be removed as a single unit.
For example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,537, there is shown a transformer which is mounted upon the base of a rack. Although the rack is shown to contain several modules housing electrical components to permit easier installation and repair, it is nevertheless deficient in that the lowest module in the rack has been sized to contain the transformer, thus making the rack bulky and heavy. Upon repair the entire rack-transformer and modules had to be removed.
In order to facilitate servicing of the electrical components within the unit without necessitating removal of the transformer, various improvements have been made to the high voltage power supplies. One such improvement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,249,817 in which the electrical components are shown readily accessible from outside of the tank by the removal of a side cover plate. Another improvement was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,636 wherein electrical components are shown completely outside the tank and the transformer is shown residing within the tank. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,439, the electrical components are shown mounted within a hollow compartment of a movable cover. In this manner, it is possible to access the electrical components upon removal of the cover, without removal of the transformer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,909, electrical components are shown mounted in predetermined positions within one compartment of an enclosure and a transformer is shown mounted within a second compartment of the enclosure. This arrangement permits components to be individually installed or removed for repair.